The New Mitsubishi Mirage Will Be Based Off the Nissan Juke

Psych! The new Mitsubishi Mirage will actually _ not _ be modeled after the Renault Clio or on the Renault Clio platform. That’s why you should never listen to a rumor, kids. The interesting M.R.G. concept based off of the Renault Clio looked good, but now that we know that the Clio claim was a rumor, we can imagine the next Mirage will actually look pretty different when compared to the M.R.G. concept. It makes more sense after all – the Mirage is a hatchback, and the Clio is a supermini car. So instead of taking some parts from Renault, Mitsubishi Motors will be taking a platform from another vehicle in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance – the Nissan Juke.

This news comes straight from the Japan-based automotive media agency, _ Response _ . The Nissan Juke is sort of somewhere between the Mitsubishi Mirage and the Renault Clio. In all honesty, the Clio actually looks like an elongated version of the Mirage hatchback, but a longer platform would mean a whole new redesign of the vehicle. We don’t think that’s a good idea after what happened to the Re-Model A PHEV. We rather not remember that fiasco…

The Nissan Juke also has a little bit of funky flavor that may rub off onto the new Mitsubishi Mirage. After all, Mitsubishi Motors has emphasized that the appearance of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles going forward will be adopting a more sporty and aggressive brand design, called the “Dynamic Shield”, to challenge other automakers in the same niche. This shouldn’t come as a surprise after Mitsubishi reinvented their Eclipse sports car as a crossover, the Eclipse Cross, redesigned with a sporty and aggressive look not commonly found on a crossover vehicle.

There are some changes noted about the new Mirage, although concept photos are limited. The front fascia is going to get a bit wider, with the grille split into two stages and slanted headlights that draw the eyes to the nose of the car. Some other Nissan Juke aesthetics may pop up, but overall the new Mirage hatchback is said to lean towards the look of a coupe. The concept shows off a bit of a spoiler, but we’re not sure if it’s functional or just aesthetically pleasing. Something similar happened to the Eclipse Cross for the taillights, so who knows at this point.

Two powertrain options have been released, but we can’t be sure these same engines will come to North America (this is currently the European powertrain lineup). So far, the new Mitsubishi Mirage can be powered by either a turbocharged 0.9-liter inline three-cylinder engine, able to generate up to 94 horsepower, or a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder diesel engine (horsepower not yet measured). We’ve also heard inklings of Mitsubishi Motors giving the Mirage a shot at the electric vehicle belt, but with hybrid SUVS being their main focus, we doubt it. No more rumors here!

* Want to check out the Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback for yourself? Stop by Miami Lakes Automall for a test drive. *

* Photo Source/Copyright: Response.jp *

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